Bullet-proof fabric



(N'o Model.)

- C. ZBGLEN.

BULLET PROOF FABRIC.

No. 578,000.A Patented Mm.y 2, 1897.

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UNITED STATES CASIMIR ZEGLEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BULLET-PROOF FABRIC.

sPnoIFI'cA'rIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,000, datedMarcha, 1897. l

riginal application filed April 24, 1896, Serial No. 588,874. Dividedand this application filed J' une 8, 1898. Serial No.

594,657. (No specimens.) y

Y To all whom t may concern:

ence being had to the accompanying drawing,

-a-nd to the letters of reference marked thereon, 1

which forms a part of this specification. l

This invention -relates to bullet proof shields, and more especially tofan improved composite elastic fabric jadapted to 'resist penetration ofprojectiles by cushioning'or absorbing the impact of the same:

The object of the invention 1s to providea relatively light and more orless exible fab-l ric which may be worn without serious inconvenienee toprotect' the body4v of a person and which may alsobe used for variousother 'analogous purposes.

ThisI application is a division of, anapplication,- Serial No. 588,874,filedY bym'e April inafter described, and vmoref'l'iarticularly pointedout in the appended claim.' It' will be readily comprehended byreference to the accompanying drawing.. p'

The figure of the drawing represents ina perspective view a section ofthe fabric constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Referring to the drawing, A designates the outermost layervof the fabricor that against or: covering which the projectile strikes, said outerlayer thicknesses of ,a ,closely-woven relatively 4heavy strongfabric,such, for example, as

canvas. After experimentationl have ascertained that the most.satisfactory results are obtained by lmakingthis outer covering of linencanvas of a qualityr commonly known as Aberdeen canvas, and hence whileI recommend the same I do .not desire to be limited thereto. V

Next inside of the canvas cover A, I provide a layer B of fine strong'animal hair,

which is either naturally straightl or which may be combed so that Ithefibers thereof lie substantially parallel with each other and Theinvention consistsin the mattersliereconsistingof tweor moreplies or pthus :veryv compactly. This layer B is relaand may be -tively a thicklayer, as shown,

' I have composed of various kinds of hair.

obtained the best results, however, by the use of the'hair or what ismore commonly called the wool of the Angora goat, the vhair ofthis-animal having the desirable characteristics of strength,straightness, and iineness of staple and being, therefore; susceptibleof being formed into a very compact mass.

Next to the layer of, hairB, I provide a plurality of layers-of strongflexible cords, threads, or strands C C',

of each layer being laid side by side or parallel'with each other anddirectly in contacty with each other. The several layers C Q ofparallel-arranged strands are superposed 011e upon each other in suchposition that the sevi eralstrands of one will lie in a direction trans--versely to or diagonally to the direction of the strands of the otherlayer,'that is, at an r angle to each other, as clearly shown Ain thedrawing. In practice I have found that these woven inner layers are bestconstructed of silk cord, which, owing to the i'neness of the fiber andits relatively great strength and also,

doubtless, to the peculiar characteristics of silk, aord the mostsatisfactory results, al#A though I do not 4 The several layers thusformed are ar ranged, as shown, very compactly and are secured together,preferably, by through-and-u desire to be limited theretol the cords orstrands I through stitching with silk thread, as indi-l l cated at a c,so that the wholebecomes a relatively hard exceedingly compact masshaving peculiar characteristics.

The composite fabric thus formed I may make into jackets or shields,since it possesses v lsl'ufcient flexibility for that purpose and is lofsuch weight as to permit it to be worn without serious discomfort.Preferably when the fabric is made into jackets, shields, or other formsof Wearing-apparel it will be covered or lined with any suitable cloth,in order that it may have a more presentable appearance, but as this isobviously a non-essential feature I have not seen fit to illustrate it.f

The fabric thus constructed is adapted to successfully resist thepenetration of project iles, such as bullets fired from ordinary re- -fA'bullet-prooffalbrc consisting of'l'louter '-'Icovering'of canvas,a-Iayer of unwoven hair orwool, and afplulalityof innerlayers, egtohcomposed 01E-*strong strands orord's laid lside bysido-compaitlyftogetherythe cords Of tho dierent layers'being arrangedat' am4 angle 'to eaoh othe'r,the Whole' fabric .being comf pactly'bound together b'yfsttchng, substan- 'tially as des'c'r'ibd.

In testimony that Lol'aim the Aforegoing as .my'inventio-n Il afxmy*sig'nature, in presence of twqwitnossos, this 14tl1day fof Aug'us-A.TD. 1189-6.. v 1

' CASIMIR"ZEGLEN; Witnesses AN'lpl'zEW SPLTZ,v

W. .Lf' HALL

